The Women of Provincetown, 1915-1922

by Cheryl Black

Book Overview

Black examines the roles a remarkable group of women played in one of the most influential theatre groups in America, demonstrating their influence on 20th-century dramaturgy and culture.

In this fascinating work, Cheryl Black argues that, in addition to its role in developing an American tradition of non-commercial theatre, Provincetown has another, largely unacknowledged claim to fame--it was one of the first theatre companies in America in which women achieved prominence in every area of operation. At a time when women playwrights were rare, women directors rarer, and women scenic designers unheard of, Provincetown's female members excelled in all of these roles.

In addition to the well-known playwright Susan Gaspell, the company's female membership included the likes of poets Edna St. Vincent Millay, Mina Loy, and Djuna Barnes; journalists Louise Bryant and Mary Heaton Vorce; novelists Neith Boyce and Evelyn Scott; and painter Marguerite Zorach. The Women of Provincetown is an engaging work of social history, offering new insights into the relationship between gender and theatre.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0817311122
• ISBN13: 9780817311124
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: University Alabama Press
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 3.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.3"